But Mr Abbott indicated he will not agree to the plan when it is discussed in the Coalition party room.

"I welcome these signs that we are moving away from a clean energy target," he said.

Mr Abbott criticised renewable energy sources.

"The trouble with renewables is that the sun does not always shine, the wind does not always blow. There has got to always be back up and if there has got to be back up, you have got to ask the question what useful purpose do they serve?" he said.

"If they are economic and dependable, fair enough. But at the moment they are neither."

Paris agreement was only 'aspirational'

Less than a month before he was replaced as prime minister, Mr Abbott announced Australia would aim for emissions reductions of up to 28 per cent in the Paris climate agreement — he said there was a "definite commitment to 26 per cent" reduction.

Today he said that was only ever "aspirational".

"It was what we would do if we could," Mr Abbott said.

When pressed in the interview on whether he thinks Australia should abandon the Paris agreement, Mr Abbott said "because it is not binding, there is no need at this point in time to walk away from it".